Historic Photos: 1937 AL All-Stars

Described in the original caption as "a million dollar baseball flesh," the seven All-Stars in this photo represented a combined million dollars in annual salary.  Today, you might be able to buy a utility infielder with a million dollars, but in 1937 it was enough for seven future Hall of Famers.

From left to right, they were: Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg.  All seven would eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and to this day are still among the all-time greats, even when compared to other Hall of Famers.  In his New Historical Baseball Abstract (2001), Bill James ranks Gehrig, Foxx, and Greenberg first, second, and eighth respectively in his list of the all-time greatest first basemen.  He also ranks Dickey seventh at catcher, Gehringer eighth at second base, Cronin eighth at shortstop, and DiMaggio fifth in center field.  In short, every single player in the photo ranks among the top ten all-time at their position, including three of the top ten first basemen.

Historic Photos: 1918 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were baseball's dominant team in the first couple decades of the 20th century; they won the first ever World Series in 1903, and would go on to win again in 1912, 1915, 1916, and finally in 1918. It meant out of 15 World Series, Boston won a third of them (there was no World Series in 1904, although Boston won the AL pennant that year). But, as any baseball fan is aware, it would be the last time the team would win in the 20th century. In many ways, this was the end of an era - in just over a year, pitcher Babe Ruth would be sold to the Yankees, which changed the way the game was played and marked the end of the Dead Ball Era.  In the meantime, though, the Red Sox were baseball's best team in 1918, and they beat the Chicago Cubs in six games.

Historic Photos: 1916 Boston Red Sox

The 1916 World Series champion Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Brooklyn Robins 4 games to 1; to this day, the 1915 and 1916 teams are the only Red Sox teams to win back-to-back World Series titles.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: 1915 Boston Red Sox

The 1915 World Series champion Boston Red Sox; it was the second of four championships that the Red Sox would win between 1912 and 1918, when they beat the Phillies 4 games to 1.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: 1912 Boston Red Sox

The 1912 World Series champion Boston Red Sox, taken shortly before the Series, in which they defeated the New York Giants in eight games (including one tie), culminating in a walk-off sacrifice fly by Larry Gardner.

The player identification, courtesy of the Library of Congress:

Top row (left to right): Joseph Quirk (trainer), Tris Speaker, unidentified girl, Joe Wood, Hick Cady, Pinch Thomas, Buck O'Brien, Hugh Bradley, Duffy Lewis. Middle row: Harry Hooper, Bill Carrigan, Steve Yerkes, Olaf Henriksen, Clyde Engle, Les Nunamaker, Charlie Hall, Larry Gardner, Ray Collins, Jake Stahl. Front row: Heinie Wagner, Hugh Bedient, mascot, Larry Pape, Marty Krug.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: Babe Ruth and Teammates, c.1915-1917

Babe Ruth would eventually go on to become arguably the greatest player in baseball history, a right fielder who absolutely shattered the previous home run record, and whose single-season and career home run records stood for many years after his death.  However, in the mid 1910's, he was just another young pitcher on the Red Sox.  Here, he is seated alongside (left to right) fellow pitchers Ernie Shore and Rube Foster, and backup first baseman Del Gainer.  Like Ruth, Shore and Foster were effective pitchers who helped lead the Red Sox to back to back World Series titles in 1915 and 1916 - together, they accounted for 109 wins in those two seasons.  But, their pitching careers didn't last much longer.  Shore was ineffective after 1917 and out of the majors by 1920, and Foster was done after 1917.  Ruth's last season as a regular pitcher was in 1919, after which he was to the Yankees, with well-known ramifications for both teams.  As for Del Gainer on the far right, he was likewise done with baseball by the early 1920's.

Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore, when referred to together, are best known as having thrown one of the most unusual combined no-hitters in baseball history.  On June 23, 1917, Babe Ruth started against the Washington Senators.  He walked the first batter he faced, and then argued with the umpire over the calls.  After being ejected, he punched the umpire on his way out.  Shore came on in relief, the runner was caught stealing, and Shore pitched the remainder of the game without allowing a baserunner.

Incidentally, although their careers ended far sooner than Ruth's, Shore and Foster both outlived him by a significant margin - Ruth died in 1948 (a year after Del Gainer), but Shore died in 1980 at the age of 89, and Foster in 1976 at the age of 88.

Historic Photos: Calvin Coolidge, 1924 World Series

On October 4, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge threw out the first ball of the 1924 World Series between the Washington Senators and the New York Giants.  The series would end up as one of the most memorable in World Series history, with Washington tying the score in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 7 thanks to a 2-out, bases loaded ground ball that took a bad hop over third baseman Freddy Lindstrom.  Washington would go on to win it in the 12th inning behind the relief pitching of Walter Johnson, with the winning hit coming on another ground ball that took a bad hop on Lindstrom (Giants players named Fred seem to have problems fielding the ball in extra innings in the final game of the World Series. See Snodgrass, Fred). In the end, though, Walter Johnson, possibly the greatest pitcher in baseball history, finally had his first and only World Series title.  Things would also end well for Calvin Coolidge - exactly a month after this photo was taken, he was re-elected in a landslide.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: Mayor John F. Fitzgerald, c.1910

John F. Fitzgerald was an avid Red Sox fan; he was a member of the Royal Rooters fan club in the early 1900s, and served as mayor of Boston from 1906 to 1908 and 1910 to 1914.  At some point during his second term, he threw out the first ball at Huntington Avenue Grounds.  Several years later, in 1912, he would throw out the first ball at the opening day of Fenway Park.  Fitzgerald died in 1950, and ten years later, his grandson, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was elected President of the United States.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Historic Photos: 1905 Philadelphia Athletics

The Philadelphia Athletics were one of the original American League franchises in 1901, with Connie Mack (center, with suit) as the manager.  Four years later, Mack led the A's to their first World Series appearance, where this photo was taken, at the New York Giants' Polo Grounds.  The A's lost 4-1, but Mack was just getting started - he would lead his team to five World Series championships during his unprecedented 50 years as their manager.  He finally retired after the 1950 season at the age of 87, and five years later the team moved to Kansas City, and later to Oakland.  Connie Mack died in 1956, having accumulated 3,731 managerial wins - nearly 1,000 more than second place John McGraw, who defeated Connie Mack in the 1905 World Series.

Player identification, courtesy of Boston Public Library:

Standing, left to right: George Hall. Athletics, George Bechtel, Athletics, William Craven, Athletics, Adrian "Baby" Anson, Athletics, Ezra Sutton, Athletics, John E. Clapp, Athletics, Jim White, Red Stockings, Al Spalding, Red Stockings, George Wright, Red Stockings, Cal McVey, Red Stockings, Harry Wright, Red Stockings. Seated: Weston Fisler, Athletics, David Force, Athletics, David Eggler, Athletics, Dick McBride, Athletics, Andy Leonard, Red Stockings, Jim O'Rourke, Red Stockings, Ross Barnes, Red Stockings, Harry C. Schafer, Red Stockings.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Historic Photos: 1875 Boston Red Stockings and Philadelphia Athletics

Taken at Boston's South End Grounds, this photo shows the top two teams of the National Association in their last year of existence: Boston finished 15 games ahead of the Athletics with a 71-8 record.  The league operated from 1871 to 1876, with the Red Stockings winning the pennant every year except 1871.

The National Association was the first professional baseball league, but its status as a major league is highly questionable - it represented the highest level of competition at the time, but the beginning of Major League Baseball as we know it today is generally considered to be 1876, when the NA folded and was replaced by the National League.  Both Boston and Philadelphia joined the NL for the 1876 season; the Red Stockings later became the Beaneaters and, eventually, the Braves, and are the same franchise that many years later would move to Atlanta by way of Milwaukee.  The Athletics, on the other hand, were expelled from the National League partway through the 1876 season, and are not associated with the modern-day Athletics team, which began play as Philadelphia's American League franchise in 1901.

Player identifications, courtesy of Boston Public Library:

Standing, left to right: George Hall. Athletics, George Bechtel, Athletics, William Craven, Athletics, Adrian "Baby" Anson, Athletics, Ezra Sutton, Athletics, John E. Clapp, Athletics, Jim White, Red Stockings, Al Spalding, Red Stockings, George Wright, Red Stockings, Cal McVey, Red Stockings, Harry Wright, Red Stockings. Seated: Weston Fisler, Athletics, David Force, Athletics, David Eggler, Athletics, Dick McBride, Athletics, Andy Leonard, Red Stockings, Jim O'Rourke, Red Stockings, Ross Barnes, Red Stockings, Harry C. Schafer, Red Stockings.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Historic Photos: 1900 Boston Beaneaters

The Boston Beaneaters were a dominant team in the National League throughout the 19th century, and from 1892 to 1898 they finished in first place four times in seven years, in what was at the time a 12-team league. The 1900 team, seen in this photo, didn't quite live up to their potential, finishing in fourth place with a 66-72 record, despite having a Hall of Fame manager and five Hall of Fame players on the roster.

In many ways, this photo represents the end of an era - the last year of the 19th century also marked the last year that the National League existed unopposed.  In 1901, the American League would declare major league status, and Boston's AL franchise would take away many of the Beaneaters' star players.  Hall of Fame third baseman Jimmy Collins (bottom row, far right); outfielders Buck Freeman (middle row, second from left) and Chick Stahl (top row, middle); and pitchers Nig Cuppy (middle row, far left), Ted Lewis (middle row, far right), and Bill Dinneen (middle row, third from right) all left to join the future Red Sox.

In addition to those who left to join the American League, other notable players in this picture include Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy (top row, second from right), Billy Hamilton (bottom row, second from left), Kid Nichols (bottom row, third from left), and Vic Willis (middle row, second from right), along with Hall of Fame manager Frank Selee (bottom row, center).  Backup catcher Jack Clements (bottom row, far right) played his last of 17 major league seasons in 1900; to this day he remains the only left-handed catcher to play any significant amount of time in the majors.

The complete player identification, courtesy of Boston Public Library:

Top, left to right: Bobby Lowe, second baseman, Shad Barry, Chick Stahl, outfielder, Hugh Duffy, outfielder, Boileryard Clarke. Middle row: Nig Cuppy, Buck Freeman, outfielder, Billy Sullivan, Bill Dineen, pitcher, Vic Willis, Ted Lewis, pitcher. Bottom row: Jack Clements, Billy Hamilton, outfielder, Kid Nichols, pitcher, Frank Selee, Manager, Herman Long, shortstop, Fred Tenney, first baseman, Jimmie Collins, third baseman.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Historic Photos: 1911 Huntington Avenue Grounds

These two photos aren't quite as well known as the famous one from the 1903 World Series, but these were taken during an actual game, in 1911, its 11th and final year in existence.  It was the original home of the Red Sox, and was where they won their first World Series, in 1903, and was replaced after the 1911 season by Fenway Park, just a short distance away.

Aside from the baseball element of the photo, I also find the advertisements on the walls to be interesting. There are long-lost beverages with such unappetizing names as Pureoxia Ginger Ale and Dr. Swett's Original Root Beer, questionable products such as Old Grist Mill Dog Bread, and defunct breweries like Harvard Brewing Company.  One company that survived a while, though, has an ad barely visible just to the right of the centerfield flagpole - Narragansett Brewing Company, which would remain a Red Sox sponsor well into the 1960s.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Historic Photos: 1903 World Series

Taken at Boston's Huntington Avenue Grounds, this photo shows the two teams that competed in the first World Series: the Boston Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It was a best of 9 series, which Boston won in 8 games.

The players, according to the description provided by the Boston Public Library, are as follows:

The Pirates: (Top, left to right)- second baseman Claude Ritchey, catcher Harry Smith, catcher Eddie Phelps, outfielder Ginger Beaumont, pitcher Deacon Phillippe, pitcher Sam Leever, pitcher Bucky Veil, pitcher Gus Thompson, outfielder Tommy Leach, outfielder Jimmy Sebring, pitcher Brickyard Kennedy, catcher Fred Carisch and shortstop Honus Wagner. Middle: Pirate manager and outfielder Fred Clarke. Boston players: third baseman-manager Jimmie Collins, outfielder Chick Stahl, pitcher Bill Dineen, outfielder Buck Freeman, pitcher Cy Young, first baseman Candy LaChance, outfielder Patsy Dougherty, pitcher George Winter, catcher Duke Farrell, outfielder Jack O'Brien, pitcher Long Tom Hughes. Bottom: shortstop Fred Parent, catcher Lou Criger, second baseman Hobe Ferris.

Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library

Historic Photos: 1901 Boston Americans

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of posts highlighting historic images from baseball's past.  Every so often, I come across a photo that I find interesting or intriguing, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to share some of them.  All of the photos that I post are either in the public domain, or are reproduced under non-commercial licenses.

This particular photo is the team photo from the 1901 Boston Americans (later known as the Red Sox).  It was the first year of the team's storied existence.  They were established to compete with the extraordinarily successful National League Boston Beaneaters team, and almost immediately they became a fan favorite in Boston.  Much of this had to do with the team's talent - Cy Young (third from left in the middle row) went 33-10 to win the Pitching Triple Crown, first baseman Buck Freeman (middle, top row) finished second in the league with 12 home runs, and third baseman/manager/future Hall of Famer Jimmy Collins (middle, front row, with arms crossed), recruited from the Beaneaters, would have an excellent season as well.

The names of all of the players in the photo:

Top row, Left to right: Kit McKenna, Buck Freeman,Charlie Hemphill. Second row: Fred Parent, George Cuppy, Cy Young, Abrose Kane, Tommy Dowd, Chick Stahl. Third row, seated: Hobe Ferris, Lou Criger, catcher, Jimmie Collins, Ossie Schreckengost, Fred Mitchell. Front: Larry McLean, first baseman.

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library